Faw. Naive ohureh 


THE RELATIONSHIPS OF PROTESTANT MISSION BOARDS IN AMERICA TO THE 


CHURCHES IN JAPAN, KOREA, CHINA AND THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, WITH 
SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY AND CONTROL FROM 
AMERTCA TO THE ORIENT 


by 


A. L. Warnshuis 


Prepared at the request of the American Group of the 
: Institute of Pacific Relations, as one of a series 

of papers aimed to supply a basis of fact and opinion 

for the discussions at the 1927 Honolulu Conference. 


PREFACE 


This study is one of a series of monographs prepared in connection 
with the conference of the Institute of Pacific Relations at Honolulu 
in July 1927. These monographs are presented to the Institute on behalf 
of the American Group attending the Conference, but the presentation of 
this material for consideration in the program does not imply either that 
the Institute itself or that the American Group assumes respansibility for 
statements of fact or opinion contained in the texts. These remain as 
mich the personal expression of the authors as would have been the case 
had the contributions been communicated orally. The Research Committee, 
which has charge of the editorial work of the American Group, has neces- 
sarily limited itself to the question of the pertinence of the subject 
matter to the discussions of the Institute. 


In the discussions at the 1925 conference of the Institute missions 
emerged as a factor in Pacific relations. Were missions, especially 
Christian missions, to be regarded as an international asset, or an in- 
ternational irritant, or both? This question, repeatedly broached, had 
to be left in abeyance, but it was regarded as inescapably in the field 
for future discussion. The Institute at that time had not before it 
any adequate factual statement pertaining to missions which could be 
used as a basis for discussion. 


Looking forward to the 1927 conference and, particularly, the 1929 
conference of the Institute, the American Group asked its Sub-committee 
on Missions (Charles H. Fahs, Mary E. Woolley, Edward H. Hume and Daniel 
J. Fleming) to draft an outline for a major study of the social results 
of Christian missions in China. The Committee responded to the request 
and submitted a draft which was accepted by the Research and Executive 
Committees of the American Group on December llth, 1926, with the under- 
standing that the project be submitted to the Social Science Research 
Council. 


This draft drew attention to the fact that all former major efforts 
to evaluate the social results of missions had had these limitations; (1) 
They had been offered by those committed to missions and usually as an 
apology for missions, and (2) they had sought to analyze the specific 
social results of missions without initiating a general study for each 
area investigated of the total forces making for social change. ‘Thus they 
were unable to give to missions in each case their appropriate places and 
setting as discovered through processes that were inclusive, detached and 
completely objective. The American Growp was on the point of forwarding 
this draft to the Social Science Research Council when Mr, Charles H. Fahs, 
the Qhairman of the Missions Sub-committee, urged that the American Group 
pestpane action on this research project until it could be discussed - 
mutually py the Chinese and Americans attending the 1927 Conference at 
Honoluly, My, Fahs and the members of his committee felt that the 
Chinese members of the Institute should be asked whether they would 
welcome some such study and if their answer should be in the affirmative, 
steps should be taken by a joint committee of Chinese and Americans to 


Preface - 2, 


re-draft the outline so that the project, if eventually undertaken, should 
be directed by am internationally constituted group and serve equally the 
purposes of the Chinese and American members of the Institute, The 
Committee of the American Group decided to act on Mr. Fahs! proposal 

and defer action until full conference with the Chinese had taken place 

in Honolulu. 


In the meantime, members of the American Group, remembering 
the lack of a factual basis for the discussion of missions at the 
first Honolulu Conference, urged that short reports be prepared on 
the following topics; 


1. The extent and nature of the work of Christian missions 
in the Pacific countries; 


2, The relationships of Protestant mission boards in 
America to the churches in Japan, Korea, China and 
the Philippine Islands, with special reference to the 
transfer of authority and control from America to the 
Orient. 


3. <A compilation of the most widely current and responsible 
criticisms of the missionary movement as voiced both in 
the Orient and the Occident. 


The preparation of the first report has been undertaken by Dr. 
Harlan Pp. Beach. The preparation of the third has not been undertaken 
because it has not been possible, as yet, to secure the services of a 
suitable author. On May 18th, 1927, Dr. A. I. Warnshuis, Secretary 
of the International Missionary Council, was asked to prepare a short 
paper on the second topic, namely, the transfer of the authority and 
control from the Protestant Mission Boards in America to the churches 
in Japan, Korea, China and the Philippine Islands. This paper is now 
offered in this preliminary form as a part of the data necessary for 
the discussions at Honolulu. Its contents have been checked as carefully 
as possible in the time available, but Dr. Warnshuis will be grateful 
for the correction of any inaccuracies which a wider circle of readers 
may detect. 


American Group 
Institute of Pacific Relations 
129 East 52nd, Street 

New York City. 


THE RELATIONSHIPS OF PROTESTANT MISSION BOARDS IN AMERICA TO THE CHURCHES 
IN JAPAN, KOREA, CHINA AND THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 


The general aim of the missionary work of the Christian Churches 
has been defined in many statements. For the limited purpose of this paper, 
it will be sufficient to quote from one of these atatements which represents 
one of the largest missionary organizations. The "Manual" of the Board of 
Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church in the U. S. A. expresses this 
purpose as including the aim "to gather these disciples into Christian 
Ghurches which shall be self-propagating, self-supporting and self-governing; 
to co-operate, so long as necessary, with these churches in the evangelizing 
of their countrymen, and in bringing to bear on all human life the spirit 
and principles of Christ." Again in the same "Manual", (section 87), the 
relations with the Churches abroad are stated as follows;:- 

"National consciousness should be welcomed and recognized by 
provision for the absolute independence of the Church on the 
Field, with complete ecclesiastical authority, and responsibil- 
ity for the administration of its own affairs". 

These statements may be accepted as expressing generally the aim 
of the foreign missionary work of all the Protestant Churches. Provably 
only the Methodist Episcopal and Protestant Episcopal Churches would de- 
sire to make plain that the "National" Churches are integral parts of a 


world-wide Church, but without infringing upon the rights and powers of 
each part to administer its own affairs. In the Methodist Church, all the 
"area conferences" are represented directly by delegates in the quadrennial 
"General Conference" and in the Protestant Episcopal Church the American 


Bishops in the various missions are members of the House of Bishops in 


America and subject to its jurisdiction, 


-2-= 


AUTONOMOUS CHURCHES 
Brief mention of the Churches that have grown out of the missionary work 


of some of the larger denominations in the West will show that the general 
aim stated above has been carried into effect in Japan, Korea, China and the 
Philippine Islands, as well as in other varts of the world. 

Congregutiona. - The. churches that have a congregational polity have 
naturally established independent congregations in the fields to which their 
missionaries have gone. This is true, among others, of the missions of the 
American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, the American Baptist 
Missionary Society, the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Con- 
vention, and the London Missionary Society. Outstanding examples of such a 
polisy are the "Kumiai" churches in Japan, and the churches related to these 
societies in China and the Philippine Islands, 

Presbyterian. All ot the churches in Japan, Korea, China and the 
Philippine Islands that have grown out of the missionary work of the 
Presbyterian Churches in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, 
England, Scotland, Ireland are now wholly independent in their government 
of the older churches from whose work they have sprung. 

In Japan, all these Presbyterian churches have united to form "The 


Church of Christ in Japan". Only self-supporting congregations are ad- 
mitted to full membership in its presbyteries. The churches still receiving 
aid from the missions have an affiliated membership , which bécomes full 
membership as soon as they attain financial independence. The American 
missionaries may become members of the Japanese churches, the ordained 
ministers of its presbyteries by bringing letters of dismissal from the 


church in America. The missions cooperating with this church are those of 


-3- 


the Northern and Southern Presbyterian Churches in the U. §. A., the Reformed 


Church in d@merice, and the Reformed Church in the United States. 


The Presbyterian Church in Korea includes the work of both the Northern 
and the Southern Presbyterian Churches in the United States, the United 
Church of Canada, and the Presbyterian Church of Australia. This Church is 
entirely independent of the churches that send missionaries to Korea, "The . 


Shurch is the central agency in control of all ecclesiastical affairs and 
administering also all the schools and all the evangelistic work which it 
supports. The ordained missionaries are all members of the presbyteries 
and responsible to them for their assignment and work on the same basis with 
the Korean pastors of self-supporting churches who are also in charge of 
country fields. All evangelistic and primary school work is supported by 
the Korean Church, so there has been no question as to the transfer to the 
Church of the administration of foreign funds. The funds which it admine 
isters are its own." * 

In China, we have an example of a church, presbyterian in its form of 
government, that has been autonomous from its beginning. This is the Protes- 
tant Church in South Fukien. As soon as local congregations were organized, 


these were immediately set up independent of the Churches in America and 


England that cooperated with them, and so they have continued as they have 
developed a church organization with several presbyteries and a synod, in which 
all the churches in that area are united, without bringing over or even 
translating a creed or rules of government of any church in the West. With 
this independent church, the missions of the Reformed Church in Anwedos. the 
*Speer, Mr. Robert E., and Dr. Hugh T. Kerr. Report on Jaber and China of the 


Deputation sent by the Board of Foreign Missions of the Presbyterian Church 
in the U. 6 As «sss. 1926, vp. G8. 


ge | a 
Presbyterian Church in England, and the London Missionary Society now cc- 


operate. 


For a time some of the other Presbyterian Churches in China were organ- 
ized in presbyteries that were organically related to the parent Churches 
in America, but now all the Presbyterian Churches in China are independent 
of foreign ecclesiastical jurisdiction, This has been so for a number of 
years. These churches are now engaged in the process of organizing a nation- 
wide church to be known as "The Church of Christ in China." In this devel- 
opment they are already organized in presbyteries and conferences, related 
to one another in various ways. The Divisional Council in Kwangtung is 
already organized, comprising the churches formerly related to the Presby- 
terian Church in the U. S. A., the United Church in Canada, the Presbyterian 
Church in New Zealand, the London Missionary Society and the United Brethren. 
The South Fukien Churches will probably be another divisional council of 
this church. The presbyteries in Central and North China will also probably 
enter the same Church. These include churches formerly related to both the 
Northern and Southern Presbyterian Churches in the U. §. A., the United 
Church in Canada, and the Presbyterian Churches in Scotland and Ireland. 
The conferences of the churches formerly related to the London Missionary 
Society and the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions have 
shared in the negotiations leading up to the organizations of this Church, 
and it is hoped that they also will enter into its This movement for the 
purposes of uniting all these churches is a demonstration of their indepen- 
dence, for the decisions regarding these proposals are made by the Chinese 
Churches without any reference to the Churches from which the foreign 
missionaries have come. 

Methodist. The Methodist Church in Japan has been organized as an inde- 
pendent body, wholly autonomous. The missionaries of the Methodist Episcopal 


Church, the Methodist Episcopal Church (South), and of the United church in 


- 5» 
Canada cooperate with it, 

In Korea, China, and the Philippine Islands, the Churches are members of 
"conferences" that are on an equality with the "conferences" of the churches in 
America. The missionaries are members of the "conferences", and there is no 
racial or other distinction in the "conferences" between the missionaries and 
the qantas who are nationals of the countries in which they are located. The 
"conferences" send delegates to the Quadrennial General Conferences of the 
Churches in the same way as the Neonferences" in America and other lands. fn 
these churches there is no organization known as a "mission", but there are 
finance committees which administer the funds contributed by the foreign 
missionary boards in is aidinias On these committees in the areas where the 
work is older, there are members who are nationals. The "conferences" of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church are united in a "Far Hastern Conference", 

Anglican. In all the countries included in this survey, the Churches of 
the Anglican Communion are organized in national churches with diocesan 
councils and Synods that are independent and autonomous, fMThe missionaries 
of the Protestant Episcopal church in America, the dine of England in 
Canada, and the Church of England cooperate in the work of these churches, 
The American bishdéps ~are members of the House of Bishops of the Protestant 
Episcopal Church in America, but they are chosen in accordance with the laws 
of the national churches. In Japan two Japanese Bishops and in China one 
Chinese Assistant Bishop have been consecrated, 

Lutheran. [In China, an independent, autonomous Lutheran Church has been 
organized, which includes the churches of almost all the American Lutheran 
Missions, 

Within the limits of this paper it is not possible, and it is probably 
unnecessary to review the status of the other church organizations. Those 
mentioned above are the largest and oldest churches. from the brief state- | 


ment of facts given above, it should be entirely clear that the development 


Bw 

of ecclesiastical organization and the growth of the Christian churches in al! 
these lands has resulted in the complete transfer to these national churches 
of all ecclesiastical government and the independent control by themselves of 
all their own ecclesiastical affairs. The adoption of creedal statements, the 
ordination of their clergy, the admission and discipline of members, the ques- 
tion of union with other churches, and all other church matters are wholly 
within the governing authority of these national churches in accordance with 


the constitution and character of the polity of each communion. 


III. Transfer of Authority. 


To complete this statement it is necessary to go farther and to show to 
what extent the Boards and Missions have transferred to these autonomous 
churches the work and institutions which they aid or maintain. A definition 
of terms will probably help to make the following discussion clear. In 
speaking of the "Church", the reference is to the ecclesiastical body, the 
denomination or the local congregation composed almost entirely of the converts 
and adherents from among the people of these countries, The churches in the 
West have organized "Roards® to administer their missionary work under the 
authority and confrol of the supreme courts or governing bodies of these 
churches. "Societies" are organizations composed of church members voluntar- 
ily associating themselves for the purpose of prosecuting missionary work in 
other lands. ‘These "Boards" and "Societies" have organized their missionaries 
in the various countries or regions in which they are located as "missions", 
or "mission councils", or "district committees", These terms are synonomous, 
and in this paper both in the preceding pages or in those that follow, the 
term ‘mission" is used to designate these organizations in the field composed, 
almost without exception, of the missionaries from abroad who are related 
to the work of a Board or Society in a given area. 

A large variety of plans have been adopted for the administration of 


financial assistance and to govern the relations of foreign missionaries to 


i a 
the churches, These plans depend to a large extent upon the stage of develop- 
ment of younger churches. ‘The age of the work is a fact which must always be 
taken into account in considering these various plans and especially when com- 
paring the plans effective in different areas. How an older, stronger church 
may most effectively aid a younger church has always been and is in all places 
a difficult and delicate question. The question and the different plans or 
methods adopted in the attempt to answer it can be discussed here in only very 
general terms, 

In the first place, it should be clearly understood that the churches in 
the West and their missionary boards have generally transferred legislative 
authority regarding the administration of work in the field to the "missions", 
as defined above. [It is almost a universal rule in all missionary administra- 
tion that the initiation of policies and action rests with the mission. The 
appropriation of money is made in lump sums to the mission, which is responsi- 
ble for its distribution in the various forms of work aided by it. Missionar- 
ies are generally appointed to the mission and their assignment to stations 
and particular fields of work is determined not in New York but hy the mission. 
The apparent exceptions to this are only those cases in which the mission has 
asked for some specialist, but even so the Board in America is only the re- 
cruiting agency that finds the person for the task defined by the mission. It 
is seldom and almost never that the Boards in America act in the administration 
of missionary work abroad excepting upon the recommendation of the mission. 

The question therefore resolves itself into that of the relation of the 
Mission to the Church. fhe church, as show above, is entirely in control of 
its own affairs, with full spiritual sovereignty and ecclesiastical autonomy. 

It is the desire and purpose of the missions that the Church would of itself 
take up its true character and undertake its full work. The problem that exists 
concerns the manner and method by which the mission gives its aid to the Church. 


How can the help of the mission best be given in the interest of the Church 


aa ee 

herself and of the progress of Christianity in each country? This question 
refers not only to financial aid but also to the services of the missionaries. 

Many earnest efforts have beast nde to answer this easatinn, The range of 
these various plans extends from those in which the mission is merged with the 
Church to those in which there is complete separation between these two bodies. 
Where the plans provide: for the distinct and separate existence and action of 
the mission, the mission is in effect a committee of the Board, acting for it 
with the authority conferred upon it by the Board. This plan is an application 
of the principle of transferring administrative authority from the Boards in 
the West to the field, bringing it as close as possible to the work administered. 
In the plans by which the mission is merged in the church, this policy has been 
adopted in response to the desire of the church to have direct relations with 
and access to the Boards in the West, eliminating the mission and its mediation 
in receiving the financial aid and the services of the missionaries given to it 
by the western churches. Where the mission is strong the Board in New York or 
London exercises little direct control of field administration; where the 
ini seion is merged in the church, the Board is necessarily called upon to act 
directly upon the requests of the church. Between these two, there are number- 
less other plans for cooperation or affiliation, Most of them recognize that 
the mission is a temporary agency and that inevitably it must Rgaroear as the 
Church assumes full responsibility for the maintenance and devetonuant of all 
christian work in the area within its influence, [In all of these plans, the 
continuation of financial aid and missionary service for an indefinite period 
is assumed, and the questions under discussion have to do with the issue of 
whether or not the missionaries working with and in the church shall exercise 
on behalf of the Board sending them the control in whole or in part of the 
money given by the Board for the work of the church. Many missionary conferences 
have been held to discuss the merits of these many different plans, and there is 


available a shelf of books that deal with the question. Obviously this state- 


-9- 

ment can not profitably discuss this question. It may suffice to quote from 

a report of a conference held in Shanghai in January 1926, as follows: "Within 
the body of the Church, in all problems of the Church's faith and order, its 
government, finances, and propagation, Chinese initiative should have entirely 
free course, and that the Chinese should work realizing that in the sight of 
God the ultimate responsibility as also the spiritual and formal authority is 
theirs and theirs alone", The recognition of that principle by the churches 
and missions in Japan, Korea, China, Philippine Islands, and elsewhere, trans- 
lated into practice, means that the churches may accept what help they desire 
from without and they may enter into what cooperation they please, and they 
follow their own initiative or independent paths or accept leadership as self- 
dependent and self-determining churches. The autonomy of the churches, as 
stated in the preceding section of this paper is unimpaired as they receive or 
decline the aid of the mission. The problem of the mission is to relate their 
financial aid and the services of their missionaries to the churches in such a 
way as will recognize the rightful position of the churches and will contribute 
most effectively to the strengthening of the churches, their expansion into 
hitherto unoccupied areas and influencing all human life and activity with the 
spirit and principles of Christ. 

The success of these various plans in their practical working varies great- 
ly in different places, depending upon the age of the work, as stated above, 
the resulting ability of the church to carry its responsibilities, and also 
upon the point of view both of the older church with its missions, and of the 
younger church. The polity of the church denomination is also, a modifying 
factor, - in some the ecclesiastical organization is such as to make it easy 
to give large freedom to small, local units, in others the connectional organic 
unity of the whole body resulting in the subordination of local units and 
their leaders to higher church authorities. These and other facts need to be 


kept in mind when discussing any particular plan or situation. 


A 

Most important of all are the personal relations involved, The chavacter 
and attitude of the cooperating parties, both the leaders of the churches and 
the missionaries from other lands, is more important than the plans of coopera- 
tion. This is emphasized in the report of Dr. Robert E. Speer on his recent 
visit to China, from which the following extract is quoted:- "The fact is that 
neither in wise plans of cooperation, nor in self support is the sole solution 
to be found, essential as these are. It is in personal temper and attitudes 
also. <All relations are ultimately personal and the fundamental and ultimate 
thing is the love that is stronger tian death and that many waters cannot quench, 
neither the waters of foreignism nor the waters of anti-foreignism, nor of 
nationalism, whether Chinese or Western, whether false or true, 

"The Rev. Liu Fu Ttrien of Ichowfu used a homely but conclusive illustration 
at the Tsinanfu Conference: 'In the conference of Chinese leaders in Shantung, 
we were more concerned with the renewing of the spirit of cooperation than with 
securing an organization. To illustrate my point - on the way to Tsinan I saw 
two wheelbarrows; one was pulled and pushed by brothers, the other was operated 
by an employer and employee. Outwardly they were handled in the same way, but 
there was a vast difference in the efficiency of the two pairs, because of the 
spirit of cooperation between the brothers, who were pushing and pulling to- 
gether, while the other two utterly lacking in that spirit were each yelling at 
the other to pull harder, each was suspicious the one was trying to make the 
other do all the work.' 

' The essential thing is not that the Church and Missions should both be 
together at one end of the barrow, still less that they should be coalesced 
into one barrow man who would have to be located at one end, ¢ither before or 
after, but that they should be working together as brothers jn the spirit and 
relations which enable both to do their utmost at the common task and each to 


fulfill his own distinct share in it."* 


" “Speer, Mr.Robert EB. and Dr. Hugh T. Kerr. Report on Japan and China.....1926, 
Pp. 324, 


ro ae 
IV. EDUCATIONAL AND MEDICAL WORK. 

Something more may need to be said regarding the relation of the schools, 
colleges, universities and hospitals to the Churches. ‘The principles outlined 
above are naturally applicable to the administration of these institutiens. 
However, the greater wealth of the older churches in the West has enabled the 
Mission to establish and maintain educational, medical, and other institutions 
that in size and character and cost are much greater than the younger churches 
are as yet able to support, and yet which are essential to meet the demands 
for the spread of Christianity in non-Christian countries. These institutions 
are conducted in the name of the Churches but in reality they are controlled and 
developed by the Missions. It is commonly stated that the Churches are ex- 
pected some day to take over and carry on all this work. To a large extent, 
it is evident that the Churches are being compromised and their future is 
being shaped and determined for them. There are many who see this and who 
recognize both the evil and also the good of it. MThey know that the younger 
Churches as Churches cannot yet do these things. They have as yet neither the 
financial ability nor a sufficient number of leaders capable of accepting the 
administrative responsibilities. Nobody would say that these things should 
not be done. [t would be unreasonable to suggest that the development of such 
institutions should be retarded to correspond with the growth of the Churches. 
Moreover, the responsibilities of the churches in the West are not to be 
limited by the lack of strength of the younger Churches in the Bast. ‘The older 
Churches must be urged to do all within their power, which they are not yet do- 
ing, for the benefit of men and women everywhere. Only in establishing and de- 
veloping this institutional work, it is essential that the younger Churches 


should be protected and prepared to take over these tasks in due time or be free 


de 8 e. 
to develop their own ingtitutions in their own way, Moreover, it is important 


that these institutions conducted by foreign agencies should be rightly relafed 
to the cultural life of the nations «so that they may be incorporated in it. 
Although supported by foreign funds and served by foreign workers, they must 

not be alien institutions, but should be thoroughly naturalized so as to con- 
tribute to the fullest possible measure to the development of the native culture. 


and national life, 


how far are these principles recognized and applied in the existing insti- 
tutions? In elementary schools, so far as these still receive support from 
foreign sources, the control has been very largely transferred to the governing 
bodies of the Churches. The problem of the relationships of these schools may 
still exist in some places, but it is not acute or far from complete and satis~ 
factory solution. The difficulties that exist, and they do exist, are in the 
support and control of the colleges and universities and larger hospitals. 

There is no disposition on the part of the responsible boards to dispute the 
right of each nation to have its own national, adequate and complete educational 
system, and to control and direct the educational forces which shape the national 
mind and character. The Missions desire only to provide a comparatively ate 
and supplementary portion of the immense development of schools of all kinds 
which are needed in the countries in which they are at work. Their schools and 
the organizations that control them must be brought into just relationship to 
the institutions and authority of each country. The schools should be regis- 
tered, if that is required, and they should comply with all regulations, They 
must either obey the laws or come away. The questions of whether these 
different national governments will permit private schools to exis}, and 
whether religious teaching may be an integral part of the training given in 
such schools are to be determined by these governments. Japan and the United 
States of America have adopted such sabsaten.- whe we must believe that China 


will also do what is right and reasonable. 


om 3 

the problem of control and administrative relationships will also yield +9 
patient and wise effort. An increasing measure of power is being given te 
Boards of Managers in the countries in which the institutions are located, and 
the constitution of those Boards are being altered so that a majority of the 
members will be nationals of those countries. As rapidly as qualified men and 
women can be found, the positions of presidents, deans, and other administrative 
responsibility are being given to nationals. Much progress is being made along 
right lines in these respects; probably such steps should have been taken at an 
earlier stage in many cases, but in any case the fact should be recognized that 
it is now being achieved. The title to the property of these institutions is 
held almost altogether by the Boards in America or Europe in accordance with the 
laws of the countries in which they are Banat an No serious issue need arise 
with reference to these titles, for it has been shown that wherever desirable 
and practicable it is easily possible to lease them at nominal rates to the 
controlling bodies in Asia. 


CONCLUSION. 


In conclusion, it may be stated that the questions of control and adminis- 


tration of missionary work are those that must be solved on the field. The 
missionary boards in New York or London, or wherever their headquarters may be 


located in America or Europe, long ago decided to transfer control and full 
responsibility for all administration to the missionsand churches in Asia. The 
practical problems center around the duty of discovering the Christian leaders 
in Asia who will “assume the real responsibility, not for giving counsel only 
but for accepting consequences and for actually carrying the load and maintain- 


ing the trust",* 


*Speer, Mr. Robert E, and Dr, Hugh T, Kerr. Report on Japan and Pehsas 19 0s 
p- 3. 


